Dogma

Dogma is a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true. It serves as part of the primary basis of an ideology or belief system, and it cannot be changed or discarded without affecting the very system's paradigm, or the ideology itself. The term can refer to acceptable opinions of philosophers or philosophical schools, public decrees, religion, or issued decisions of political authorities.

The term "dogma" is derived from the Greek δόγμα (dogma) meaning "that which seems to one; opinion or belief" and that from δοκέω (dokeo), "to think, to suppose, to imagine". Dogma came to signify laws or ordinances adjudged and imposed upon others by the First Century. The plural is either dogmas or dogmata, from Greek δόγματα.

Religious Dogma

In the case of many religions, religious dogmas are deemed to be the revealed truth. In the case of certain Christian denominations, dogmas are principles established by Church authority, such as the Council of Bishops, for believers to adhere to. Contrary to what the skeptics of religion believe, most, but not all, aspects of religions are not dogmatic.

Medical Dogma

In the field of medicine, dogma often refers to established opinion widely held by medical professionals and disseminated through medical textbooks, not necessarily based on rigorous experimental data. The term medical dogma is critical in the description of medical education curriculum and the translation of evidence-based medicine into practice.

Political Dogma

Political dogma refers to the dogmatic and unwavering belief in the correctness of a political ideology or system regardless of evidence or argument to the contrary. It is often used pejoratively to refer to any belief that fails to change in response to new evidence or arguments, particularly in the context of the policies of political parties or governments.

See Also

• Belief
• Doctrine
• Ideology
• Philosophy
• Religion

References

Dogma Resources
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